Thursday

Being from a family in which every branch of the military is represented, she planned to join the Marines. A car accident took her out of commission, and after she started her family, she looked into a job as security officer coordinator for Lubbock Independent School District police.

Working with police, De La Garza said, "It really sparked a fire in me."

She had always wanted a hands-on, active job. Her coworkers in the LISD police force encouraged her to go to the police academy.

Working as a police officer is not just a job, De La Garza said; on any given day that she heads to work, she could save a life.

"At the same time, not every day is hands-on and excitement," she said.

But area police departments are having trouble finding people like De La Garza, or anyone for that matter, to fill their ranks.

Right now, smaller cities and towns in West Texas are struggling with the reality that few people want to be a police officer in a small town.

Wolfforth police

Wolfforth is one of many municipalities that can't find applicants to fill their public safety positions.

Wolfforth Police Chief Rick Scott told Wolfforth Council members at a Feb. 3 meeting that he had advertised two open positions through several law enforcement publications and through various government organizations but had received no applicants. He said 584 people have viewed one advertisement, but only 14 clicked "How to Apply."

On Feb. 17, Scott said the city had budgeted for 10 full-time officers. One is tasked with code enforcement and another with emergency management.

With two positions vacant since Thanksgiving, Scott said officers are working overtime to ensure enough police presence on the streets. The dedicated code enforcement officer and investigators are picking up extra duties as well, he said.

Having fewer officers affects the department's ability to send officers away for training or to allow vacation time.

Scott said he is unsure if applicants are shying away because of the starting pay or the department's extra requirements.

For a new officer straight out of the police academy, Scott said Wolfforth offers $13.55 per hour, or approximately $28,000 annually.

"The money is definitely an issue for some people because they have a family to support," De La Garza said.

She said that could be a reason why Wolfforth is struggling to find applicants for two openings on its police force.

"It could be the reason, but I would hope not," De La Garza said. "The attraction to the job cannot be the money. It's too important."

If it's not the money, Scott wonders if it's the extra requirements. The department requires a reading and writing comprehension test and a physical agility test that includes a 300-meter dash, a 1.5-mile run, push-ups, sit-ups and "those kinds of things," Scott said.

"Once you pass our two tests, that's when you receive a background packet," he said.

Scott said it is difficult to pinpoint why the department is having a hard time finding applicants, but he said it is a statewide problem.

"As a profession, we're seeing fewer qualified candidates. And some of that certainly has to do with the oil businesses, those jobs paying very well. Some of it, there's a mindset, 'Why would I go do that (police work) for that kind of pay?'" Scott said. "This job, it's not anything you're going to make any money at."

The job also requires working nights, weekends and holidays and dealing with a schedule that changes frequently.

"It's a difficult job. It's a fairly thankless job," Scott said.

Officials from other towns agreed with Scott's assessment.

Abernathy police

Abernathy Police Chief Cameron Bowman said his department starts new officers at $29,000.

The department is fully staffed since a vacancy was filled in November. There are five police officers, including Bowman.

"The last time we had an opening, it took me two and a half months to find somebody. But I'm fully staffed now. That's the longest that we've had to wait," Bowman said.

A lot of potential officers are leaving the field to make "real money" in the oil field, Bowman said.

For a department paying $29,000 to new officers, it is hard to compete with oil field jobs where people can make $70,000 starting out, he said.

City manager Stan David said a police department is not inexpensive to run.

Ten years ago, his problems recruiting officers began. Through the years, Denver City has responded by increasing the starting pay to $42,000 annually for new officers. Denver City now has one opening on a staff of eight police officers.

"We're still short. We've pretty much stayed short. It's a lot more than it was 10 years ago, but it's not enough to keep spots filled," David said.

The oil business probably does play into Denver City's difficulty in attracting and keeping officers, David said, but no more than every other position in the town.

"I think all jobs out here have had to go up some," he said.

David said Denver City does not have any extra requirements for police officers.

"If we did, I'm sure we would have relaxed those years ago," David said.

Idalou police

Albert Garcia, chief of the Idalou Police Department, said his department starts officers at $27,500, but they can get up to $28,000 after a 12-week probationary period. After six months, they get another raise to $28,840 on the first step of Idalou's step program. Garcia said the department also offers incentive pay.

Garcia said it is difficult to compete with surrounding towns, especially Lubbock Police Department and Lubbock County Sheriff's Department, but he has stringent qualifications on issues of moral integrity and values. He said he does not want other agencies' "problem children."

"We are so close to the city of Lubbock, it's just really difficult to compete," Garcia said of both Idalou and Wolfforth.

The Idalou police would have an even smaller pool of applicants if it required officers to meet the same qualifications the city of Lubbock has, Garcia said.

Most candidates who can meet those requirements would go to Lubbock and make more money, he said.

Idalou does not require an additional physical test of applicants who have already met state standards.

Garcia said that when posting vacancies on the Texas Municipal League website, he has seen as many as 1,200 people view his advertisement for jobs in Idalou, but only four or five apply.

"What specifically is keeping these people from applying? I'm not sure," he said.

Idalou has one opening for a police officer on a police force of five officers.

Kermit police

Closer to Midland, Kermit Police Lt. Richard Abalos said the department filled its only vacancy this month, bringing the department total to 12 officers.

But he said the surrounding oil field business has affected salaries in the area.

"The oil field business is just booming," Abalos said.

Kermit Police Department starts new officers fresh from the academy at $16 per hour, or about $33,000 annually.

"Usually that's the going rate for the smaller towns. A bigger town may offer more money," he said.

About a year ago, the Kermit department was down four officers for about eight months, and Abalos said it was difficult to find new officers.

"When I started back in '95, the people that wanted to be police officers" went into law enforcement. Today, he said, some of those people may feel they'd rather earn more money.

"If you're in it for the money, you're not going to get rich being a police officer. You gotta love the job to do it," Abalos said.

Call to serve

While some people may get upset about receiving a traffic ticket, De La Garza said she issues them in a spirit of great compassion.

Because she responded to an accident where speeding caused the death of a child, she hopes people will slow down and drive safely.

Compassion has to be a part of her job, she said, as do patience, listening skills and the ability to use her training when the job requires it. De La Garza said she wanted her four children and her family to be proud of her when she chose a career in law enforcement.

"Serving God and serving our community go hand-in-hand," she said. "Service is sometimes doing the job no one else wants to do."

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